Ron Paul campaign statement concerning Reince Priebus and RNC Rule 11

[AngelClark]

Reince Priebus (the RNC chairman from Kenosha, Wisconsin), and the Republican National Committee (RNC) threw their support behind Mitt Romney after Newt Gingrich announced he would be suspending his campaign. Through the RNC chair, Reince Priebus, the RNC will help register voters and encourage outreach for Mitt Romney. Ron Paul, however, is still in the race. On Sunday, the 12-term Congressman from Texas released a statement through his campaign team regarding the calls for RNC leader to resign. Many have questioned Reince Priebus's principles as he tries (through the RNC) to unite Republicans behind Mitt Romney while so many are volunteering for Ron Paul. In fact, many Paul supporters state they will not support Romney in this election cycle, regardless of what the RNC says.

Below please find comments from National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton:

“In April, the RNC asked our campaign for our blessing to begin assembling the Victory organization Republicans will require to guarantee a win in the fall. Building such an operation is no small undertaking, and our Party needed to build in a few months what the incumbent president has been building for four years.

“The RNC offered to set up a joint fundraising committee with the Paul campaign and were very clear that if Dr. Paul became the nominee, the Victory Operation would be behind him 100 percent. They also were clear that they would hold off if our campaign objected. I gave my full consent for the RNC to move forward.

“Chairman Priebus has always treated Dr. Paul and our team with respect, and we appreciate his leadership. He has been an outstanding chairman and has our full confidence.”

This campaign statement does not clear up any questions one may have regarding GOP Rule #11. This statement seems to be saying that the RNC had Ron Paul's permission to set up joint fundraising committees with the Republican presidential candidate. This campaign statement does not state that the RNC had permission to endorse candidates, breaking GOP Rule #11.

Continue reading: http://exm.nr/J9IEvE

[PaulSoHard]

What in the fuck why is Benton kissing ass now

[oldpal]

I really hoped the campaign would have jumped on this one.

[Okie RP fan]

What in the fuck why is Benton kissing ass now

I don't know, and I don't care. Here's why:

This movement is beyond Dr. Paul and his campaign now. It is up to us to continue educating our friends and family and continue the liberty movement on our own. The campaign has failed to jump on a number of things in order to show they are serious (such as attacking Mitt Romney, producing a foreign policy ad, etc.). I don't know what their true intentions are, whether they truly want Dr. Paul to challenge Romney in Tampa, or, just get a speaking slot and continue to educate the masses (which, is great) or what.

We are taking on these conventions, whether the campaign likes us to or not, is beyond the question now. Whatever Benton and Wead are doing, I don't care, because this has been and will be all on the grassroots' shoulders.

We need to make sure we stay intact once this race is over, no matter the outcome. We MUST focus on getting liberty candidate's in every facet of our government, local, state, and federal.

People who were planning on donating a large sum of money for the May 17th MB, may I simply suggest that you half it and consider donating a portion to other candidates such as Thomas Massie, Glen Bradley, Karen Kitowski (sorry, I am misspelling her name), or your candidates running in your state? They are the future.

[revned]

Benton is kissing ass because the RNC gave their word that if Paul actually ended up as the nominee, that they would be behind him 100 percent. So Benton told them to go ahead in hopes of getting their support later.

That is my assumption anyway.

[eleganz]

no big deal, continue working.

[PaulSoHard]

I guess it's a statement worth ignoring since it's not coming from Ron Paul himself.

But the timing to release this statement was horrific in my opinion. I thought at the very least we would be hearing congratulations from the campaign to the Oklahoma and Arizona delegates

[CaptUSA]

Please understand this, troops. We are trying to overhaul the Republican party. This cannot be done from the outside. All of our victories have happened when we have successfully taken over the local establishment.

I understand that people have a lot of disdain for the GOP as it currently stands, but we have to remember that we are trying to win the GOP. You don't want the party destroyed when we finally gain majorities. We want to restore the GOP - not destroy it. Again, I know this is hard for many of you to grasp, but this is the chosen course. Benton's remarks indicate an understanding of this.

[walt]

What in the fuck why is Benton kissing ass now

Because he is a plant and is about himself (and whatever interests support him). About time people wake up to what I've known for four years.

[walt]

I guess it's a statement worth ignoring since it's not coming from Ron Paul himself.

But the timing to release this statement was horrific in my opinion. I thought at the very least we would be hearing congratulations from the campaign to the Oklahoma and Arizona delegates

As long as Ron Paul employs Jesse Benton, Jesse reflects on Ron.

[Titus]

@Walt, that's probably right here but not always. I volunteer for Ron Paul but I disagree with him on some stances. I do think he is right on the constitution and major unifying issues but I am a blue republican ATM. No two people agree on everything.

[airborne373]

Be like Ron Paul ... gentle as a dove, wise as a snake.

I would suggest reading the official statement (http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2012/05/13/ron-paul-campaign-statement-concerning-rnc-rule-11/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ron-paul-campaign-statement-concerning-rnc-rule-11) in full before passing along partial truths and full opinions.

Also when did R.P. ask anyone to "fall in line" or "follow orders from the campaign" did I miss the memo? Those delegates at various conventions will do as they do. And the campaign will do as they do.

The petty bickering and complaining is lame and exposes the qualities of a persons character.

[BUSHLIED]

I don't know, and I don't care. Here's why:

This movement is beyond Dr. Paul and his campaign now. It is up to us to continue educating our friends and family and continue the liberty movement on our own. The campaign has failed to jump on a number of things in order to show they are serious (such as attacking Mitt Romney, producing a foreign policy ad, etc.). I don't know what their true intentions are, whether they truly want Dr. Paul to challenge Romney in Tampa, or, just get a speaking slot and continue to educate the masses (which, is great) or what.

We are taking on these conventions, whether the campaign likes us to or not, is beyond the question now. Whatever Benton and Wead are doing, I don't care, because this has been and will be all on the grassroots' shoulders.

We need to make sure we stay intact once this race is over, no matter the outcome. We MUST focus on getting liberty candidate's in every facet of our government, local, state, and federal.

People who were planning on donating a large sum of money for the May 17th MB, may I simply suggest that you half it and consider donating a portion to other candidates such as Thomas Massie, Glen Bradley, Karen Kitowski (sorry, I am misspelling her name), or your candidates running in your state? They are the future.

Exactly. Forget about the campaign per se. I don't know what they are doing anymore. We the people need to take over the GOP and restore the party to it true purpose which is limited government and civil liberties. While it is great that Paul is still talking to college kids, it is the grassroots that have fueled everything since 2007. I've grant the campaign one "pass" despite it general incompetence which is likely vote fraud and/or some state GOP corruption (which was known to going to happen well in advance) but besides that, it's up to "us" to win delegates to support the cause of liberty. Benton doing the best he can to bring Ron into the fold by commending the Chair, it's good move politically.

[RDM]

This should be a PURE wake-up call to ALL Grassroots. The remainder of this election to get Ron Paul in office rests completely on our shoulders and No One Else. That means ALL efforts with advertising, organizing, educating, delegate training, gotv, assisting delegates get to Tampa in transportation costs, hiring attorneys, hiring Parlamentarians, etc., etc., etc., are our COMPLETE responsibility NOW!!! To rely on the campaign at this point for ANYTHING is a futile effort to get Ron elected.

[NoOneButPaul]

Please understand this, troops. We are trying to overhaul the Republican party. This cannot be done from the outside. All of our victories have happened when we have successfully taken over the local establishment.

I understand that people have a lot of disdain for the GOP as it currently stands, but we have to remember that we are trying to win the GOP. You don't want the party destroyed when we finally gain majorities. We want to restore the GOP - not destroy it. Again, I know this is hard for many of you to grasp, but this is the chosen course. Benton's remarks indicate an understanding of this.

This.


I don't know, and I don't care. Here's why:

This movement is beyond Dr. Paul and his campaign now. It is up to us to continue educating our friends and family and continue the liberty movement on our own. The campaign has failed to jump on a number of things in order to show they are serious (such as attacking Mitt Romney, producing a foreign policy ad, etc.). I don't know what their true intentions are, whether they truly want Dr. Paul to challenge Romney in Tampa, or, just get a speaking slot and continue to educate the masses (which, is great) or what.

We are taking on these conventions, whether the campaign likes us to or not, is beyond the question now. Whatever Benton and Wead are doing, I don't care, because this has been and will be all on the grassroots' shoulders.

We need to make sure we stay intact once this race is over, no matter the outcome. We MUST focus on getting liberty candidate's in every facet of our government, local, state, and federal.

People who were planning on donating a large sum of money for the May 17th MB, may I simply suggest that you half it and consider donating a portion to other candidates such as Thomas Massie, Glen Bradley, Karen Kitowski (sorry, I am misspelling her name), or your candidates running in your state? They are the future.

And this...but I think Bradley is toast.

[Paul Fan]

Plausible deniability. Good cop, bad cop. Etc. The campaign makes nice, the grassroots kicks a**. It is a good division of labor.

[dancjm]

Plausible deniability. Good cop, bad cop. Etc. The campaign makes nice, the grassroots kicks a**. It is a good division of labor.

Exactly.

Well said.

[Maximus]

Plausible deniability. Good cop, bad cop. Etc. The campaign makes nice, the grassroots kicks a**. It is a good division of labor.

Exactly.

This shows our true strength, that the campaign knows it can put on a nice face only because they know that we are gonna do what they truly want anyways.

[Badger Paul]

What this all boils down is simple: Power. It's a zero-sum contest for power of a major political party and when that happens there's going to be a lot of raw emotions involved in the process (as the Democrats know all too well). Let's face it, a lot of the GOP regulars are not used to this. They're not used to being challenged. They're not used to proper procedure. They're not used to their conventions lasting well into the evening because in the past the leadership would make all the decisions beforehand, the delegates would rubber stamp them, they hear a few speeches and that would be it. That's why Nevada got shutdown last year, that's why the same happened in Arizona and Oklahoma. And upcoming conventions (Missouri, Washington, Georgia) could get worse.

Obviously the campaign wants to stay in the establishment's good graces for Rand's sake and I understand that. They don't have to endorse what we do but I guarantee you it will happen anyway regardless of what they say. Again, this is a fight over power, about the future direction of the party. It's going to get heated. This is not a Rotary Club meeting, not Jaycee's brunch. If the old guard is offended just remember Barry Goldwater took over the party in largely the same fashion and so did Ronald Reagan and in the Taft-Roosevelt nomination contest of 1912 both sides duked it out with baseball bats during their conventions. They have no clue what disruption truly is in a political contest.

We've tried convincing people and have actually made a lot of progress. But the one little sticking point unfortunately happens to be the key to all of RP's plans for the country. That's not something you compromise. You can't convince people who cannot deal with the reality that the U.S. is broke and cannot be the world's policeman anymore. What more can you say to them?

If you're in a battle, you have to act like it. It's not something you seek out nor am I advocating violence but in reality I don't have to, because the establishment is fighting back and challenging us anyway. We're not cutting deals in Tampa nor will we be bound by them. If we lose, we lose whether its the platform fights or the nomination. We battle to the end because you can only get of a point of power in history by taking it through struggle. We're not going to be the Religious Right and be the Republican's bitch. They didn't go all the way because somebody always promised them something and they readily agreed acquiesed only to be the suckers in the end. No sir! We will fight if we have to gain a foothold in the party and shape it to the modern realities of politics.

[kathy88]

What in the fuck why is Benton kissing ass now

Because some of the delegates are going into these conventions acting like complete animals, and he needs to distance RP from that. Bottom line.

[Adrock]

Because some of the delegates are going into these conventions acting like complete animals, and he needs to distance RP from that. Bottom line.

QFT

+ rep

[odamn]

What in the fuck why is Benton kissing ass now
Because if your smart, you keep your friends close and your enemies closer ...

[RDM]

Because some of the delegates are going into these conventions acting like complete animals, and he needs to distance RP from that. Bottom line.

This I agree with. It's one thing to go into the delegate process and take care of the business at hand diligently and within the rules, but to do it acting like uncivilized animals doesn't do the movement or Ron Paul any good.

[Badger Paul]

"This should be a PURE wake-up call to ALL Grassroots. The remainder of this election to get Ron Paul in office rests completely on our shoulders and No One Else. That means ALL efforts with advertising, organizing, educating, delegate training, gotv, assisting delegates get to Tampa in transportation costs, hiring attorneys, hiring Parlamentarians, etc., etc., etc., are our COMPLETE responsibility NOW!!! To rely on the campaign at this point for ANYTHING is a futile effort to get Ron elected. "


At this point I concur. I'm not advocating anyone to act violently or go crazy but convention goers need to prepare themselves for what they have to do to get the job done. I know the Romney people are, so we must do the same.

If we believe in something bigger than Pauls, we have to press forward regardless what the campaign does or doesn't do.

[G-Wohl]

What in the fuck why is Benton kissing ass now

Benton used this same tactic when working on Rand Paul's campaign, and it was obviously effective.

RP has stated himself that the goal is to change the GOP. One can only accomplish such a monumental task by being cordial with one another on an official level.

Now, this does not imply at all that the grassroots supporters - those who will actually be responsible for representing RP at the Tampa convention - can't resort to all sorts of "underhanded" (strategic) politicking to get our way. That is hopefully what the campaign wants us to do - to do the dirty work that they can't do without appearing disloyal.

[Okie RP fan]

This I agree with. It's one thing to go into the delegate process and take care of the business at hand diligently and within the rules, but to do it acting like uncivilized animals doesn't do the movement or Ron Paul any good.

Definitely, and I think most of us on here, and most of our fellow supporters agree. However, there are always going to be those few crazy people who make our movement look bad. We really need to tell them to calm down when we can, I was so tempted to regarding a few of our people at the convention.

They really show an immature side of themselves sometimes, and when they do, it reflects poorly on us and Dr. Paul.

[thoughtomator]

The campaign's consent is immaterial. The rules state that all 50 state GOP organizations need to provide written consent to embark on this path while the nomination is still contested.

[gte811i]

Definitely, and I think most of us on here, and most of our fellow supporters agree. However, there are always going to be those few crazy people who make our movement look bad. We really need to tell them to calm down when we can, I was so tempted to regarding a few of our people at the convention.

They really show an immature side of themselves sometimes, and when they do, it reflects poorly on us and Dr. Paul.

IMO, things seem to go really poorly when we have a substantial minority, but not a majority. I was at a CD where we had ~43% minority. It went very similar to what happened in OK. With a >33% minority and especially close to a 50% majority you may get voted down, but you shouldn't get steamrolled.

While the minorities voice is always important and should be heard, it becomes extremely important that the closer a minority is to 50% the more their voice is heard. I think it is just something in human nature and especially in our system that when individuals feel they are a strong minority and they get railroaded they start to take drastic action. They realize that getting railroaded isn't just - regardless that they know they will lose. People want their voice heard - even if they will lose.

In those circumstances, it is really difficult to maintain composure over an injustice; especially if you don't know the rules. The only way that I maintained any measure of composure in our CD (and I was not happy), was to focus on the rules not people and to remember the decorum of conventions. RR states that no member should ever personally insult or attack another member even in debate-it should always be respectful.

Ultimately, it is up to each and every delegate to know the rules beforehand. If delegates have the responsibility of electing other delegates, then they should know the rules. The more each delegate knows the rules, shows up dressed for business (I'm actually appalled at how many people I saw at OK not dressed up to some extent- I know it is 2012 not 1912 but come on it's a business meeting for pete's sake act like it!), and speaks respectfully yet forcefully when needed, the more we will be able to win.

While we won our county and lost the district, I was very impressed with the people I showed up with . . . we were by far the best dressed, most knowledgeable and most respectful. Our entire county delegation was RP (except 1), yet I don't recall a single delegate with a RP shirt on, we were dressed to kill.

I know it is different in some states, but in my state and IMO the conventions are not for campaigning for candidates they are for business.

[tbone717]

I know it is different in some states, but in my state and IMO the conventions are not for campaigning for candidates they are for business.

Pretty much that is how it is in every state, but especially in the ones where the delegates are already bound based on the primary vote and the convention is just finishing the business of which bodies are going to fill the seats.

[freedomordeath]

The way I see it the victory fund is fine because apperently this will be spent after the convention, if one dime is spent on ROmney before the convention is over, then they are in clear violation.

BUT, if any of the RNC work with ROmney before the convention is over, this doesn't need to be money wise, purely support, then this is a voilation of rule 11 and we should chip in and hire lawyers to challenge this. We must not only make Romney aware we not gonna go anywhere, but the RON PAUL campaign that any back room deals will be a total flop because we'll drag RP on the stage if we have to as president. THIS RAND PAUL TALK is rubbish, because 4 years is a long time, who knows we might all be chipped and in FEMA camps by then. RAND PAUL can sort himself out in 2016, you have seen the sheeple, one or 2 CNN/FOX programes later and they re-programmed, kinda like a etcha sketch mind control. 4 years is like a 400 sheeple years.

Also in primary states where the delgates are bound and RP campaign not on the ground there, grassroots don't wait, we take control if we can and unbind if we can, we don't ask, if its within the rules, we take what is ours.

[freedomordeath]

lol.. I read an article where it asks "Has Ron Paul lost control of his supporters". I totally agree with you thoughtomator, we don't ask, we take back the republic.

[tbone717]

//

wrong thread

[MelissaCato]

All the more reason to get Ron Paul the GOP nomination. We can do this !! Ron Paul 2012 !!

[Bilgefisher]

Who am I to argue with a 12 term congressmen on how to conduct his campaign. All I can do is continue to push forward and support the cause of liberty. I consider Ron Paul the spark that has reignited the fires for liberty. He will do what he needs to, and so will we.

Priebus has sowed his own fate. The memory of this movement is much longer than your average voter. When the opportunity arises, he will have to find a new committee to chair, the grassroots will see to it.

[lib3rtarian]

So Benton basically said, "Yes, Ron Paul is still running against Romney, but if you want to back Romney right now and give the impression to everyone that the race is decided and Romney is the nominee, then please go ahead."? Makes no sense, because RNC getting on board with Romney kills all our soft support.

I never cared for Benton anyway. All I can say is - as far as we are concerned, NOTHING CHANGES. We still fight for delegates in every convention. If Ron Paul doesn't win the nomination, it shouldn't be for the grassroots' lack of trying. We give it our everything.

I also second the idea of supporting the local candidates, because after Ron, I certainly don't want to put all my eggs in the Rand basket. His support for sanctions on Iran and his speech to the Iowa Christian nutjobs have turned me off and made me cautious. We should diversify our "investment" (money and manpower) and invest in local liberty candidates, because this r3volution is going to be bottom-up, not top-down. We dropped the ball on Glen Bradley because everyone was so obsessed with Paul that no one was giving him any attention (donating or volunteering). We had a golden chance to elect someone equally pure as Paul, but we screwed it up. Let's push to get Massie, Karen Kwiatkowski, Sheriff Mack etc. elected. In 2016, we don't want Rand being another loner like Paul fighting the entire Establishment. Let's change some of the Establishment at least before 2016.

[XTreat]

Seems that our campaign made a deal with the RNC

http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/13/3944662/ron-paul-campaign-statement-concerning.html

[bluesc]

"Our" campaign? Their campaign, full of people with personal ambitions way beyond 2012.

The grassroots will go on.

[Oddone]

Getting tired of the campaign. In the other thread Doug Wead pulls the same crap with OK.

[KevinYeaux]

This was reported weeks ago, Benton's just confirming that Paul approved the RNC Victory Fund being set up.

[LibertyEagle]

"Our" campaign? Their campaign, full of people with personal ambitions way beyond 2012.

The grassroots will go on.

Do you want to pull your deeply embedded foot out of your mouth on this one?

[bluesc]

Do you want to pull your deeply embedded foot out of your mouth on this one?

I'll keep going.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Nice smoke and mirrors. The issue is not if the fund was set up, the issue is that it is being USED to support one candidate when that candidate does not have the nomination yet. That's where the problem is.

Now if they want to give equal funding to Paul to run Paul vs Obama ads - that's a different story entirely.

-t

[pawlpawl]

Seems people have been forgetting the purpose of this campaign.
Iv seen alot of people saying lately stuff like, forget the campaign go grassroots.

Don't you think all that oppose us are dying for the day where our assembly for Ron Paul becomes divided? The campaign is going to do what it chooses to do, our focus is to push our guy and get him in office. If the Ron Paul campaign goes too far out of your belief system, you have full freedom and rights to withdraw your trust in this movement, if you choose to do that...don't cause a rift on your way out.



The last thing we need is Ron Paul supporters fighting between campaign and grassroots, people need to remember we are here for Dr.Paul.

[bluesc]

Seems people have been forgetting the purpose of this campaign.
Iv seen alot of people saying lately stuff like, forget the campaign go grassroots.

Don't you think all that oppose us are dying for the day where our assembly for Ron Paul becomes divided? The campaign is going to do what it chooses to do, our focus is to push our guy and get him in office. If the Ron Paul campaign goes too far out of your belief system, you have full freedom and rights to withdraw your trust in this movement, if you choose to do that...don't cause a rift on your way out.



The last thing we need is Ron Paul supporters fighting between campaign and grassroots, people need to remember we are here for Dr.Paul.

No fight is needed. The grassroots is required to break away if it comes down to a fight between Ron Paul 2012 and Rand Paul 2016.

The grassroots exists to push for Ron in 2012.

[walt]

No fight is needed. The grassroots is required to break away if it comes down to a fight between Ron Paul 2012 and Rand Paul 2016.

The grassroots exists to push for Ron in 2012.

If Rand doesn't deliver his state for Ron, I don't think alot grassroots will follow him later ...

[Tyler_Durden]

So this statement was posted on the rp2012 website today:

http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2012/05/13/ron-paul-campaign-statement-concerning-rnc-rule-11/

Ok, I'm really looking forward to statements about OK/AZ.

[Publicani]

So what's the problem?

RNC collects additional money with both campaigns' blessings and is going to use this money to help the nominee.

[Sentinelrv]

Wouldn't this allow the RNC to suck up donations from big banks and the military industrial complex, etc... early on while they still believe that Romney is going to be the nominee? Then if our delegate strategy pays off in the end and Ron gets the nomination, he'll be able to use all these funds against Obama, funds that would have never originally been donated to him by these institutions had they known that Paul was going to be the nominee. If so, I think this is a smart move. They're using Romney's inevitability as a way to amass funding for a campaign against Obama. If all goes well, Romney will never get a chance to use that money and we won't have to rely solely on grassroots donations anymore. We'll have a huge warchest provided by the establishment to take down Obama. It's brilliant!

[JasonM]

Wouldn't this allow the RNC to suck up donations from big banks and the military industrial complex, etc... early on while they still believe that Romney is going to be the nominee? Then if our delegate strategy pays off in the end and Ron gets the nomination, he'll be able to use all these funds against Obama, funds that would have never originally been donated to him by these institutions had they known that Paul was going to be the nominee. If so, I think this is a smart move. They're using Romney's inevitability as a way to amass funding for a campaign against Obama. If all goes well, Romney will never get a chance to use that money and we won't have to rely solely on grassroots donations anymore. We'll have a huge warchest provided by the establishment to take down Obama. It's brilliant!

Indeed, I have seen no proof that Romney is directly benefiting from this "Victory fund" at Ron Paul's expense. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this though.

[XTreat]

Wouldn't this allow the RNC to suck up donations from big banks and the military industrial complex, etc... early on while they still believe that Romney is going to be the nominee? Then if our delegate strategy pays off in the end and Ron gets the nomination, he'll be able to use all these funds against Obama, funds that would have never originally been donated to him by these institutions had they known that Paul was going to be the nominee. If so, I think this is a smart move. They're using Romney's inevitability as a way to amass funding for a campaign against Obama. If all goes well, Romney will never get a chance to use that money and we won't have to rely solely on grassroots donations anymore. We'll have a huge warchest provided by the establishment to take down Obama. It's brilliant!

Excellent point.

[Keith and stuff]

If Rand doesn't deliver his state for Ron, I don't think alot grassroots will follow him later ...

Rand cannot deliver a state for Ron. The vast majority of the Republican voters in KY very likely don't like Ron Paul. We all know this. It is widely known by anyone who has looked into it. I don't even understand why you brought this up.

[parocks]

Wouldn't this allow the RNC to suck up donations from big banks and the military industrial complex, etc... early on while they still believe that Romney is going to be the nominee? Then if our delegate strategy pays off in the end and Ron gets the nomination, he'll be able to use all these funds against Obama, funds that would have never originally been donated to him by these institutions had they known that Paul was going to be the nominee. If so, I think this is a smart move. They're using Romney's inevitability as a way to amass funding for a campaign against Obama. If all goes well, Romney will never get a chance to use that money and we won't have to rely solely on grassroots donations anymore. We'll have a huge warchest provided by the establishment to take down Obama. It's brilliant!

smart analysis.

[Zack]

Nice smoke and mirrors. The issue is not if the fund was set up, the issue is that it is being USED to support one candidate when that candidate does not have the nomination yet. That's where the problem is.

Now if they want to give equal funding to Paul to run Paul vs Obama ads - that's a different story entirely.

-t



Yeah I just had to bump this thread/reply, because half the people don't seem to understand what's going on. The RNC is essentially officially endorsing that Romney guy, by name... not Paul at all... and all with the encouragement of the Paul campaign... while that same Paul campaign asks us to send them money to beat that guy who's name... is Romney.

All these comments about how we should keep our heads down and just not worry about it, or how this is all great because Paul secretly knows he'll get the nomination and thereby sneak away money from unsuspecting banks (which by the way would be dishonest/immoral if it were true, which it's not, because Paul's chance of nomination, EVEN IF ROMNEY HAD A SCANDAL TOMORROW AND HAD TO DROP OUT, leaving Paul in 1st place currently, would STILL be like 1 in 100), or how this is fine because we have to sacrafice Ron Paul's total delegate footprint in this election in order to create a more friendly environment in the establishment in 2016 for Rand Paul (of all people)... all these comments are sincerely giving me the heebie jeebies. It's all a little twilight zoneish.

Ron has always said his goal was to get the maximum number of delegates... in THIS election. It's under those clearly stated conditions that they accept donations. If that's not the plan anymore, then they at least need to be honest with the Paul supporters and explicitly say it, and stop taking money from gullible freedom fighters. While they're at it, they might want to not wait 3 weeks to say whether or not they're going to support the OK outdoor convention, and their legal reasoning one way or the other.

It's all about honesty. Selling your soul may be self-destructive, but it's still honest capitilism. :) Misrepresentation however, is just fraud. :(

[papitosabe]

Because he is a plant and is about himself (and whatever interests support him). About time people wake up to what I've known for four years.

i thought something similar to this awhile back..but now i just think it may be that he prob talks a good game and got the job, but he's out of his league as far as a presidential campaign leader.... he married into the Paul family, and is probably passionate, but he's just a knucklehead as far as I'm concerned

[KEEF]

Wouldn't this allow the RNC to suck up donations from big banks and the military industrial complex, etc... early on while they still believe that Romney is going to be the nominee? Then if our delegate strategy pays off in the end and Ron gets the nomination, he'll be able to use all these funds against Obama, funds that would have never originally been donated to him by these institutions had they known that Paul was going to be the nominee. If so, I think this is a smart move. They're using Romney's inevitability as a way to amass funding for a campaign against Obama. If all goes well, Romney will never get a chance to use that money and we won't have to rely solely on grassroots donations anymore. We'll have a huge warchest provided by the establishment to take down Obama. It's brilliant!

On that note, look at how the MSM is already starting to push Obama and point out flaws in Romney for the general election. This may play into our favor when we win the nomination

[whippoorwill]

humm...still don't know what to make of this.

[Badger Paul]

"If Rand doesn't deliver his state for Ron, I don't think alot grassroots will follow him later ... "

That's a good point although one wonders if they really want the grassroots support

[Constitutional Paulicy]

http://static01.mediaite.com/med/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Priebus-MTP.jpg

RNC’s Reince Priebus: ‘For Those People That [Gay Marriage] Is Their Issue, They Have A Clear Choice’
by Noah Rothman | 4:59 pm, May 13th, 2012


I’m not sure if it’s going to be a defining issue, but clearly for people in America – where gay marriage is their number one issue, we clearly have two candidates with two different views. On one hand, you’ve got Barack Obama who is now, I guess, going to promote and perhaps crusade for this issue. And you have Mitt Romney who’s been consistent and I think in line with most Americans – which is that marriage ought to be defined between one man and one woman. So, for those people that this is their issue, they have a clear choice.

Video and article here... http://www.mediaite.com/tv/reince-priebus-on-mtp-for-those-people-that-gay-marriage-is-their-issue-they-have-a-clear-choice/

[anaconda]

And this...but I think Bradley is toast.

Just curious. I noticed Glen got 13% in the primary. Would it not have been a wise choice to run to reclaim his House seat in 2012, instead of going for senate? Just wondering.

[tbone717]

Just curious. I noticed Glen got 13% in the primary. Would it not have been a wise choice to run to reclaim his House seat in 2012, instead of going for senate? Just wondering.

All the more reason why after all the dust settles, RP supporters either need to ally with local groups that are already in place, or organize at the local and state level. While we do have an enthusiastic grassroots, we are poorly organized. The Tea Party crowd (yeah I know we started all that) has done a far better job at organizing locally than RP supporters have. Just for comparison the local Tea Party group here has regular meetings at a local establishment , while the RP meetup group is all virtual.

[anaconda]

We're not going to be the Religious Right and be the Republican's bitch. They didn't go all the way because somebody always promised them something and they readily agreed acquiesed only to be the suckers in the end. No sir!

This needed to be said. Thank you.